We've been trying to do a different national park every month. January we did Zions and this month we did Capital Reef. It was a short night trip because of a family wedding we had and then we all got sick the day we made it down there, but we tried to make the best of it.

So what did we do at Capital Reef for the short time we were there. The night we got there we checked into our hotel and then found some grub. Since February is the off season to visit Capital Reef the whole town was pretty much closed down...not cool. The gas station we stayed next to was torn to pieces, the Subway that was in the gas station right next to our hotel was also closed, and the town literally had 1 restaurant open. We talked to a family who comes down to Capital Reef multiple times a year to visit family they said that it's very rare for everything to be closed like this. Looks like we had our Hepworth luck again. It's usually raining or cold when we go somewhere...it was cold AND everything was closed.

Back to what we did for the night. After we got dinner it was about an hr until sunset so we decided to drive through the park. The lighting was perfect! I always get so giddy when golden hour actually is golden and against the red rock...oh my gosh the photographer in me wanted to pull over and take some pics. That's exactly what I made Jeff do. We pulled over and snapped a few pics.

We drove past a lot of trails I wanted to go on, a lot of places I had researched. But in the end we tried the Cohab Canyon and made it to the top but the babe was just miserable so we turned around went back to the car and headed home. She did get out of the carrier and walked around a little but in the end she just wanted to be home cuddling with mom.

We plan to return to Capital Reef in the next couple of months to see everything green and in bloom and pick all the fruit from the fruit trees. Until then we will call this trip a wash haha

​I started blogging around 2005 or 2006 on Livejournal. Sometime in college I started a personal blog on Wordpress.com. I started KristaAoki.com, a lifestyle & travel blog, at the beginning of this month (February, 2017).​

Where are you from?

​I am proud to say that I was born and raised on the island of Guam! It is a tiny island (37 miles long) southeast of Japan and east of the Philippines.

​Where I am now, in the mountains of Colorado, is very very far, and very very different.​

What has been your favorite trip/adventure and why?My favorite adventure would have to be living in Hawaii for five years. During that time I had the opportunity to explore the islands and open my mind to activities I had not tried before. I jumped off a cliff into a river for the first time. I discovered my love of hiking into the back country of the forests. I had opportunities to work in taro patches and learn about the culture and histories in every area I worked. I only moved away one year ago but I'm always planning my tripback to Hawaii.What kind of duffel bag/luggage do you use?​I try to travel light! So I typically bring a Roxy duffel bag with me, and my Knomo backpack (it has a laptop holder and plenty of pockets so it's sooo useful!).​If you fly often do you check or carry your luggage on the plane?​I carry my luggage to avoid the check-in costs! Unless I'm flying Southwest - I love that they allow two free checked bags.

Tell me your worst travel experience you’ve had so far, what could you have done differently so that that situation wouldn’t have happened​Oh gosh. I have such a bad relationship with airports. I learned while I was in college, donot ​check a bag if you are switching airlines at an airport. Oh, and confirm your flight times (I guess). Unless you have an ample amount of time. I'm serious, my flight time got changed in between booking in December (I read the email over and over again), and when I finally flew out in May. So I waited for my bag at the baggage claim area thinking I had time. But the United attendant would not let me in! I thought that was crazy since it was a small airport in Maui, but I suppose they have to abide by certain rules.

​In retrospect, it wasn't a huge deal. I stayed the evening in Maui and caught up with a college friend who was gracious enough to show me around the island the next morning until my flight.​

To avoid this now, I definitely just choose to carry my luggage most of the time. And I have an account with an airline I'm flying so I can confirm on their website the flight time (instead of having to reference an old and possibly outdated email).

What kind of camera do you most while traveling?

​I use my iPhone 6! I love the quality of its photos, although I understand that it cannot do everything a DSLR can. iPhone tip: don't use your selfie camera for professional pictures! The quality is much better when you use the regular-facing camera lens on the iPhone.

If DSLR what lens?

Name 3 places that are currently on your bucket list?

​France (I'm excited - I'm going there in May!)​

​New Zealand

Italy​

What’s the next adventure you have planned?

​My boyfriend and I are planning to go to France in May. We are so excited! Right now, the plan is to explore Paris for a few days. Then, we are going to rent a car, and explore the country! Alsace, Nice, Burgundy, Champagne, Grenoble. We will also spend a couple of days in Geneva, Switzerland, and drive through Italy to visit the municipality of Monaco! So four countries packed into 11 or 12 days. Not a bad way to spend my first visit to Europe!

What’s the best travel tip or advice you have?​Be open-minded. Last year my boyfriend suggested we visit the Great Sand Dunes National Park here in Colorado. I'll admit it didn't sound that cool to me... sand dunes just aren't glamorous! But we stopped at cute mountain towns on the way there and back; had an amazing time camping with each other; and had a nice hike up the sand dunes! It kind of felt like we were on a Star Wars movie set. So even though I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did,I am so glad we went! Who knows, your next trip, whether you want to go on it or not, may inspire you!

Have you every heard of Kolob Canyon? I've driven past it a million times but had never been. Finally with this national park pass we decided to just do it! I'm soo glad we did, it was so gorgeous. I had no idea that off that specific freeway exit would hide such views.

It's super easy to get there. It has its own specific freeway exit right off i-15, It's off of exit 40. Right off the exit is the visitors center. When you go inside it has the usual visitor center things; souvenirs, books, maps, and the desk you have to pay to get into the park. The actual road is only 20 miles long, but it seriously has so many views in that short 20 miles. The road takes you to the top of the mountain where you could hike to the peak. We were going to do that hike but the wind was so cold, I mean it is January in Utah.

There are a few other hikes there, a favorite I've heard is the trail to the Kolob Arch. That one is a little far for the babe but I can't wait to do it when she gets older or I have a girls getaway. That trail is 14 miles round trip and Kolob Arch is one of the worlds largest freestanding arches. Can't wait to see it one day.

So that's Kolob Canyon in a nut shell. It's short, beautiful and so worth it if you need a break from your drive. I'd love to hear about any of the other hikes in the area if you've done them.

You guys I'm so excited about this new series I'm starting! I love meeting new bloggers and sharing their love for adventures and traveling. Today we have our first interview with Bradley Davis who blogs over at Sasquatch the Bus. This is so cool! I have loved all their pictures and adventures so far. Enjoy their interview and make sure to check out their blog and instagram.

Where do you blog?

https://www.sasquatchthebus.com/. The blog is the story of my roommate and I’s conversion of a short school bus into a bad ass adventure mobile and our travels.

How long have you been blogging?

Well, haha just about a month

Where are you from?

Riverside, California

What has been your favorite trip and why?

I would have to say that any time I get the chance to go to Redwood National Park. It is a really magical place. The trees have this power of putting everything in perspective for you. The tallest living organisms on the planet. You just feel so small. All your troubles seem to go away. Oh and when the fog rolls into the forest, leaves you feeling like you are on another planet. Hands down my favorite place in the U.S.

What kind of duffle bag/luggage do you use?

I love my herschel duffle bag and travel back pack.

If you fly often do you check or carry your luggage on the plane?

I always try to carry on. I like living a more minimalist lifestyle and have no problem wearing the same thing multiple days.

Tell me your worst travel experience you’ve had so far, what could you have done differently so that that situation wouldn’t have happened

Honestly, I don’t think I have had any terrible traveling experiences. Knock on wood. Sure there are hiccups along the way. And thankfully we haven't had any breakdowns with our converted school bus.

What kind of camera do you most while traveling?

Hands down the best travel camera is the sony a6000. It’s a compact mirrorless dslr. It basically fits in your pockets but wields a huge punch. The next comparable camera is the Canon 6d and it’s ⅓ the size.

If DSLR what lens?

I think the sigma 16-35mm lens is one of the best out there. You can capture landscape and portraits without really having to change lenses.

Name 3 places that are currently on your bucket list?

My 2017 bucket list comprises of Joshua Tree, Puerto Rico, and Banff

What’s the next adventure you have planned?

This week actually. We are taking the school bus to Yosemite for firefalls. It’s suppose to snow the entire time so it will be really interesting! Wish us luck :)

What’s the best travel tip or advice you have?

Do it. The world and ourselves change so rapidly. You might not have the same opportunities in a year. and better yet who know what those places will look like in a year.

There you have it, our first interview! I want to thank Bradley for being the first and for being willing to help me out. Make sure and go check out their blog, Sasquatch the Bus .

We went to Zions in January and it was the best trip to Zions ever! There was no one there, I didn't have to ride the shuttle, and it wasn't hot. The only bummer was that the road was closed up towards the end of the canyon so we couldn't go do the Emerald Pools hike which would have been a perfect trail with the babe. In the long run the road bring closed was a great thing because it forced me to explore the other side of Zions.

We went toward the East Entrance and did the Canyon Overlook Trail. It was probably one of my favorite hikes I've done with the babe. It was short, awesome views, and it was just a fun trail in the aspect that the terrain was different every time you went around the corner. You hike stairs carved out of sand stone, you walk along cliff sides, cross a bridge, and show up to this amazing view.

This hike does have some elevation gain and if you're afraid of heights it might not be the trail for you. If you take the kiddos make sure to keep an eye on them and keep an eye out for mountain goats, we saw a few and they weren't that far away.

If you were looking for 2 short easy hikes for the family while you're in the St George area well Snow Canyon State Park is the place. With just a short drive north of St George and $6 fee you'll have a place to let those kiddos run. When we visited Snow Canyon State Park half of the park wasn't accessible because they were fixing the road, so our hike choices were slightly limited. But with our choices we decided to go on the Jenny's Canyon and Johnson Canyon.

Jenny's Canyon is a short 0.5 mile hike that leads to a small slot canyon. The hike is seriously a walk in red sand to the slot canyon, you can continue up to the overlook area which does include a small incline but nothing those crazy kids couldn't handle. It was cool to walk and then turn a corner and bam there was a slot canyon. I could see the kids really having fun in there climbing the walls and running to the end. The overlook isn't really anything fantastic but you might as well check it out since it's a short climb.

The other hike we went on was Johnson Canyon. This hike was longer, 2 miles but rated as easy. The trail head is located right before the fee booth and starts on the right side of the road. The trail takes you from the road into the red sand, there was a dry river bed, then walked on the base of the mountain and turned into the canyon. When the trail went along the base of the mountain it had a small cliff side that looked over a dry river bed, so watch your kiddos during this part. After that the trail crossed a small river, which I'm guessing is bigger during the summer, and walked next to an arch. At the end of the canyon we walked 3 people repel down the canyon wall, it looked fun and I guess a company does guided tours of canyoneering there. The trail was fun and super pretty and I would do it again once baby N gets older and can walk herself.

Those are the 2 trails we were able to do while in Snow Canyon. Up the road there was also a small sand dune that I saw tons of kids playing on and parents pulled out a blanket to have picnic on.

We got the opportunity to go to Jackson Hole in October. I hadn't been there in forever so I was so excited and Jeff was so excited because they finished the biking path from Jackson Hole to Grand Teton National Park.

We stayed at the Cowboy Village, let me just say that they are the coolest little cabins around. They were cozy and perfect size. The one we had slept 5 people with 2 full and 1 sofa sleeper. The location of the Cowboy Village was also a couple blocks from downtown and if it wasn't cold we would have just walked there.

We also went for a small 30 mile bike ride from Jackson to Grand Teton National Park, Jenny Lake. It was a really beautiful ride. As I was riding I kept staring at the Tetons and then the next thing I knew I was almost off the path. I guess it wouldn't have been the worst view if I got a flat there haha.

The ride was easy, there was a slight elevation gain once you got into the national park but nothing too bad. Can I just say how cool it was to ride into the national park! But don't forget they also charge you, so just be aware.

Once to Jenny Lake we hiked a little and then caught a ride back to the cabin to see baby N, who just woke up from her afternoon nap. Perfect timing :)

Trip facts

Month of travel: October

Length of trip: 3 nights 4 days

Hotel we stayed at: Cowboy Village

Thoughts on hotel: Awesome, I would live there if I could haha

What we saw: Jackson Hole, Grand Teton National Park-Jenny Lake, Jackson Hole Lodge, and Tetons(they are hard to miss)